Allium plant named ‘Medusa’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion plant named  Allium  ‘Medusa’ compact habit, glaucous, upright, stiff, strap-like, flattened, gray-green foliage with longitudinal twisting and numerous, tightly-clustered, purple flowers forming long-blooming globose umbels and scapes that typically begin development pointing toward the ground.

Botanical classification: Allium hybrid (Linnaeus).

Variety denomination: ‘Medusa’.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct ornamental onion, Allium ‘Medusa’ developed and discovered by the inventor at a private garden in Waseca, Minn., USA as the result of a chance cross between a proprietary unreleased selection (not patented) of Allium senenscens subspecies glaucum as the female parent and a proprietary unreleased selection (not patented) of Allium tanguticum as the male parent. The plant was originally discovered by the inventor in the summer of 2008. Allium ‘Medusa’ has been successfully asexually propagated by garden bulb division method since 2009 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and found to be stable and produce identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant through multiple generations.

No plants of Allium ‘Medusa’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing of this application with the exception of that which was disclosed within one year of the filing of this application and was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Allium ‘Medusa’ differs from its parents as well as all other ornamental onion known to the applicant. The most similar known Allium cultivars are Allium senenscens ‘Blue Eddy’ (not patented), Allium tanguticum ‘Summer Beauty’ (not patented), ‘Back to School’ (not patented), ‘Millenium’ (not patented) and ‘Noneuq’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,115. ‘Blue Eddy’ has a shorter leaves, flowers and overall habit and smaller flower globes and lighter colored flowers. ‘Summer Beauty’ is larger in habit, with less-twisted leaves and lighter flowers in larger umbels. ‘Back to School’ is shorter in habit, flowers later in the season and has foliage that does not last as long in the season. ‘Millenium’ has broader foliage with less twisting, larger habit and larger umbels of lighter purple. ‘Noneuq’ is more commonly known as ‘Balloon Banquet’ and is earlier blooming, shorter umbels and fewer flowers per inflorescence.

The female parent has broader and more twisted foliage than the new plant, and the male parent has taller and thinner foliage than the new plant.

Allium ‘Medusa’ differs from these above cultivars and all unregistered cultivars known to the inventor in that it has:

-   -   1. Glaucous, upright, stiff, strap-like, flattened, gray-green         foliage with longitudinal twisting.     -   2. Compact habit, drought tolerant, rabbit and deer resistant,         medium-sized clumps.     -   3. Numerous, tightly-clustered, purple flowers forming         long-blooming globose umbel.     -   4. Young peduncles inverted and becoming upright to slightly         curved in maturity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance of the plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the umbel.

FIG. 2 shows the side-view habit of a two-year-old plant in midseason.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on The 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Allium ‘Medusa’, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a trial garden of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. under full sun with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Allium hybrid. -   Parentage: Proprietary unreleased selection of Allium senenscens     subspecies glaucum (not patented) as the female or seed parent and     Allium tanguticum as the male or pollen parent. -   Propagation method: By garden bulb division. -   Growth rate: Vigorous, flowering in 4 liter containers in about 12     weeks. -   Rooting habit: Fibrous from base of bulbs, lightly branching; color     nearest RHS 158C. -   Plant habit description: Dense clump of bulbs with sessile rosulate     foliage about 55.0 cm across and about 28.0 cm tall; flowering to     about 55.0 cm tall. -   Bulbs: Elongated conical shape; about 4.5 cm long and 1.0 cm     diameter at base; about 85 per plant; color nearest RHS 155D. -   Leaves: Sessile; linear; glaucous, glabrous dull surfaces;     semi-succulent; simple, margin entire; sharply acute apex, truncate     base; twisted longitudinally 360° to 450°; slightly concavo-convex;     about 24.0 cm long and about 7.0 mm diameter at base; arranged in     two-ranked tuffs from bulb; fragrance onion-scented. -   Leaf color: Mature and expanding leaves same; both surfaces between     RHS 137A and RHS 137B distally with base nearest RHS 146D. -   Leaf venation: Parallel; color same as leaf abaxial and adaxial. -   Inflorescence: In terminal umbel; about 234 to 312 flowers per     inflorescence; about 60 to 70 inflorescences per plant; slightly     flattened globe, about 5.5 cm across and about 4.5 cm tall; lasting     about four weeks; onion-like fragrance; beginning in mid-August in     Michigan and continuing for five to six weeks. -   Blooming habit: With slightly flattened drooping globe in bud,     becoming upright as initial flowers open; one terminal umbel     inflorescence per stem. -   Flowers: Campanulate; incomplete, with two sets of three tepals,     outer set smaller than inner; inferior ovary; actinomorphic; upward     and outwardly facing depending on position in umbel; individually     effective about four to six days; from base to exerted stamens to     about 10.0 mm long and about 7.0 mm across. -   Tepals (outer set): Convex; glabrous; acute apex, truncate base;     about 5.0 mm long and about 2.0 m across. -   Tepal (inner set): Flat; glabrous; acute apex, broadly acute base;     about 6.0 mm long and about 3.0 mm across. -   Tepal color (outer set): Abaxial and adaxial apex nearest RHS 77A,     both surfaces lightening to between RHS 77B and RHS 77C at base. -   Tepal color (inner set): Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 77B. -   Buds one day prior to opening: Conical, slightly flattened on three     sides; rounded base, acute apex; about 7.0 mm long and about 4.0 mm     diameter at widest point. -   Bud color: Nearest RHS 77A at petal apex and lightening to nearest     RHS 77B in middle and nearest RHS 77C at base. -   Pedicel: Terete; stiff, upward and outwardly facing depending on     orientation in umbel; glabrous; glaucous; about 15.0 mm long and     about 0.5 mm diameter. -   Pedicel color: Between RHS 138A and RHS 138B. -   Peduncle: Glabrous, glaucous; flattened trapezoid in cross-section;     about 49 cm long and base about 7.5 mm wide at thicker side and     about 5.0 mm on narrower side; as immature inflorescence pointing     downward, becoming erect to slightly curving near top when in     flower; prior to all flowers opening distal 3.0 to 5.0 cm curled     downward 180° from vertical. -   Peduncle color: Between RHS 137A and RHS 137B. -   Gynoecium: Pistil single; to about 8.0 mm long.     -   -   Style.—Single, cylindrical, glabrous, about 2.0 expanding to             4.5 mm long and about 0.5 mm across when mature; color             nearest RHS 77C.         -   Stigma.—Globose; about 0.4 mm across; color lighter than RHS             77D.         -   Ovary.—Distinctly tri-carpeled; obcordate, widest at apex             and narrowest at base; about 3.0 mm long and 2.0 mm across             at apex and 1.0 mm across at base; color nearest RHS 77B at             apex and nearest RHS 77C at base. -   Androecium: Five; to about 8.7 mm long.     -   -   Anther.—Oblong; about 1.7 mm long and about 0.7 mm wide;             dorsifixed; longitudinal; color nearest RHS 186C.         -   Filament.—Exserted; glabrous; about 7.0 mm long and 1.0 mm             at base; color nearest RHS 77A at apex and lightening to             nearest RHS 77C at base.         -   Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS 160C. -   Fruit: Tri-valved loculicidal capsule; about 4.0 mm long and 3.0 mm     across; typically dehiscing to within about 1.0 mm of base; one to     three seeded; color upon maturity nearest RHS 199D. -   Seed: Elliptic, flattened along one long side; about 2.5 mm long and     about 1.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 202A. -   Disease and pest resistance: Ornamental onions typically resist deer     and rabbit feeding. Resistance beyond that of other ornamental onion     has not been observed. The plant grows best with good drainage and     is able to tolerate some drought when established. Hardiness at     least from USDA zone 4 through 8. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion plant named Allium ‘Medusa’ as herein described and illustrated, suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower arrangements. 